289、以下情形经常被指给我看：在地狱，没有人从自己思考；相反，他从周围的其他人思考；其他人也不从自己思考，而是再从其他人思考；思维和情感依次从一个社群传到另一个社群，没有人意识到它们并非来自他自己。有些人认为他们从自己思考和意愿，于是被送入一个社群，并留在那里，与其思维通常所延伸到的邻近社群的联系被切断。这时，他们被吩咐以不同于该社群灵人的方式思考，并强迫自己沿着相反的思路思考；但他们坦承，这是不可能的。
这种情形发生在许多人身上，包括莱布尼茨。甚至连他也信服，没有人从自己，只能从其他人思考；这些其他人也不从自己思考，相反，所有人都凭来自天堂的流注思考，而天堂依赖于来自主的流注。有些人深入思考了这一点，声称，这太令人震惊了，以至于几乎没有人能被迫相信，因为这与表象完全相反。然而，他们无法否认，因为这一点被充分证实了。尽管如此，在惊奇之余他们又声称：
①这意味着思想邪恶不能怪他们；
②这样看来邪恶似乎来自主；
③他们不理解唯独主如何能使所有人都作不同的思考。
接下来有必要解释这三点。
289. I have often been shown, too, that no one in hell thinks on his own but does so from others around him; that neither do those others think on their own, but do so from still others; and that thoughts and affections proceed in order from society to society, without anyone's knowing other than that they spring from himself.
Some spirits who believed that they thought and willed of themselves were sent into a society and detained there, with communication with neighboring societies, to which they usually also extended their thoughts, cut off. Moreover they were then told to think differently from the spirits of that society, and to compel themselves to think in an opposite way. But they confessed that it was impossible for them to do so.
[2] This happened with many, and with Leibnitz 1as well, who also was convinced that no one thinks on his own but from others, that neither do those others think on their own, but that all do so by virtue of an influx from heaven, and heaven by virtue of an influx from the Lord.
Some spirits, having considered this state of affairs, said that it was astounding, and that scarcely anyone could be brought to believe it because it is entirely contrary to the appearance; but that still they could not deny it, because it had been fully demonstrated. Nevertheless, while still in a state of wonderment, they said that they were then not at fault for thinking evil; moreover that it seemed then that evil comes from the Lord; and furthermore that they did not comprehend how the Lord could by Himself cause all people to think so diversely.
But we will explain these three conundrums in subsequent discussions.
Footnotes:
1. Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz (1646-1716), German philosopher and mathematician, inventor of the calculus concurrently with but independently of Sir Isaac Newton of England and founder of symbolic logic, but celebrated primarily for his monadology, a metaphysical theory of the nature of creation.
289. I have often been shown that no one in hell originates a thought. They all depend on others around them, who again are not originating their thoughts but depend on still others. Thoughts and desires move from community to community in a pattern without people realizing that they are not thinking autonomously.
Some individuals who believed that they thought and intended autonomously were assigned to a particular community. They were cut off from communication with those neighbors to whom their thoughts usually spread and were held where they were. Then they were told to think differently from the way the spirits of that community were thinking, to force themselves to think along contradictory lines; but they admitted that it was impossible for them.
[2] This has happened to any number of people, including Leibniz. Even he was convinced that no one thinks independently, only from others, who in turn are not thinking independently. We are all thinking as a result of an inflow from heaven, and heaven depends on an inflow from the Lord.
Some people who have thought deeply about this have declared that it is so stunning that hardly anyone could be compelled to believe it, it is so contrary to the way things seem. However, they could not deny it, because it had been fully demonstrated. Still, in their wonderment they claimed that it meant that they were not to blame for thinking evil and that it seemed as though evil came from the Lord. They did not understand how the Lord alone could work things out so that we all think differently, either. These three issues need to be unfolded next.
289. It has frequently been made manifest to me that in hell no one thinks from 1himself but he thinks from others around him, nor do these think from themselves, but they also think from others; and thoughts and affections pass in order from one society to another and no one is aware that they do not originate from himself. Some who believed that they thought and willed from themselves were sent into a society and there detained, and communication with the neighbouring societies to which their thoughts were usually extended was cut off. They were then told to think differently from the spirits of this society, and to compel themselves to think contrary to it; but they confessed that they found this impossible.
[2] This was done with many, including Leibnitz, who was also convinced that no one thinks from himself but from others; nor do these from themselves think, but that all think from influx out of heaven and heaven from influx originating from the Lord. When some had given careful consideration to this, they declared it to be amazing, saying that scarcely anyone could be induced to believe it, because it is quite contrary to appearance; but still that they could not deny it because it was fully proved. Nevertheless, while they were astonished they declared,
1. That in this case they are not in fault for thinking evil;
2. also that it thus seems as if evil were from the Lord;
3. and also that they do not understand how the Lord can cause all to think so differently.
But these three points must be explained in what follows.
Footnotes:
1. from himself (a se), . . . from others (ex aliis). The prepositions a and ex, both here translated 'from', are used in contrast, a indicating the responsible agent or originating source, and ex an instrumental agent, contributing to the performance of an action. This distinction may be noted by translating a of an ex from, as: no one of himself thinks, but he thinks from others.
289. It has been shown to me frequently that no one in hell thinks from himself, but he thinks from others about him; and that these others do not think from themselves, but they, too, from others; and that thoughts and affections pass in order from one society to another, and no one is aware that they are not from himself. Some who believed that they thought and willed from themselves were sent into a society and were detained in it, and communication with the neighboring societies to which their thoughts were usually extended was cut off. They were then told to think differently from the spirits of that society and to compel themselves to think in an opposite way, but they confessed that it was impossible.
[2] This was done with many; and even with Leibnitz, and he, too, was convinced that no one thinks from himself, but only from others; and that neither do these others think from themselves, but that all think by influx out of heaven, and heaven by influx from the Lord. Some that thought carefully about this have declared it to be astounding, and that scarcely any one could be brought to believe it, because it is wholly contrary to the appearance, and yet they could not deny it, because it was fully shown. Nevertheless, even while they were wondering about it, they said that they were not to blame for thinking evil, also that this made evil seem to be from the Lord; also that they did not comprehend how the Lord, alone could cause all to think so diversely. But these three points shall be unfolded in what follows.
289. Quod nec aliquis in inferno cogitet a se sed ex aliis circum se, nec hi alii a se, sed etiam ex aliis, et quod cogitationes et affectiones vadant in ordine a societate ad societatem, praeter quod ullus sciat aliter quam quod a se, hoc saepius ostensum est. Quidam qui crediderunt se cogitare et velle a se, missi sunt in societatem, intercepta communicatione cum vicinis, ad quas etiam illorum cogitationes exspatiari soluerunt, ac in illa detenti sunt; et tunc dictum est illis, ut cogitent aliter quam spiritus illius societatis cogitant, ac ut cogant se ad cogitandum contra illud, sed fassi sunt, quod hoc eis impossibile esset.
[2] Hoc factum est cum multis, et quoque cum Leibnitzio, qui etiam convictus est, quod nemo cogitet ex se sed ex aliis, et quod nec alii a se, et quod omnes ex influxu e Coelo, et quod Coelum ex influxu a Domino. Quidam de hac re meditati, dixerunt quod hoc stupendum sit, et quod vix aliquis possit adduci ad id credendum, quia est prorsus contra apparentiam, sed quod usque non possint negare, quia plene ostensum est; sed tamen cum in admiratione fuerunt, dixerunt, quod sic non in culpa sint, quod malum cogitent: tum quod sic videatur sicut malum sit a Domino: et quoque quod non comprehendant, quomodo solus Dominus 1possit facere, ut omnes tam diversimode cogitent. Sed haec tria in sequentibus evolvenda sint.
Footnotes:
1 Prima editio: Dominu